Electric control circuit



Jan. 27, 1942. M. A. EDWARDS 2,271,223

ELECTRIC common CIRCUIT Filed Feb. 1, 1940 Inventor: Martin A.Edwards,'

is Attofiney.

Patented. Jan. 27,

amaze mam com-nor. cracurr masdwaraaseemmnudgaeete Geaera|llectrioompany,aoorporaflon New York Application February 1, 1940. Seth! N0. 816,".

12 Claims. (Cl. 171442) My invention relates to electric control circuits and more particularly to an improved arrangement for controlling the flow of current to a load circuit which may comprise the welding electrodes of an electric resistance welding machine.

Wherever one of the various methods of highspeed electric resistance welding can be applied, for example, where spot-welding or line-welding machines are used, it is periodically necessary to interrupt the circuit during the welding operation to form the plurality of spaced or overlapped welds. The means capable of interrupting the circuit must be able to do so a great many times per minute. Even at low speeds of operation, the use of mechanical switches for accomplishing this purpose have proved unsatisfactory and, where the welding circuit must be made and broken several hundred times per minute, they are entirely unsuitable.

Also, in butt welding and more specifically in the flash-welding type where theresistance at the junction is used as a means for generating the welding heat, it has been common practice to use large contactors in the primary circuit of the welding transformer to control the welding time. However, in this type of weld, at the time the metal fuses, there is practically a short circuit on the welding transformer and, when contactors are used to interrupt the circuit, they must do so under this very heavy load or short-circuit current condition, which tends to destroy them causing very high maintenance costs. Furthermore, sufilcient arcing at thecontactors often occurs under these conditions so that it is impossible to interrupt the circuit with the usual type of contactor.

The use of saturable reactors for such control purposes has been proposed but was found unsatisfactory for these high speed resistance welding operations due to the long interval of time required to obtain substantial variations in the reactance thereof by virtue of the long time constant.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved current-controlling arrangement comprising a saturable reactor provided with quick response means for varying the reactance thereof which will replace the contactors heretofore used in such control circuits and substantially eliminate the necessity of servicing or replacement of parts.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved current-controlling arrangement makingandbreakingtheweldingcircuitinelectric resistance welding machines.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig.1 diagrammatically illustrates an electric control circuit embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 represents a modification thereof.

Referring nowtoFig. lof thedrawlng,Ihave illustrated herein my invention as applied to an arrangement for controlling the flow of current to a loadcircuit ll. Itwillbeunderstoodby those skilled in the art that this control scheme may have many uses but I have specifically illustrated it in an arrangement where the load circuit ll includes the welding electrodes of an electric resistance welding machine of the flash buttweldlng type which electrodes are diagrammatically' illustrated in Fig. 1 at II, II. The load circuit is is energized through an electric translating apparatus comprising transformer l2 whose secondary winding II is connected to load circuit II and whose primary winding I4 is connected to a suitable source of alternating potential ll through switch II for supplying the necessary energy for load circuit II. A variable reactance device comprising a saturable reactor II is providcd to control the impedance to the flow of current from alternating potential source II and, consequently, control the current flowing in load circuit III. This device comprises variable reactance windings It connected in series with the primary winding ll of transformer l2 and wound upon a suitable core l1, schematically shown. The impedance of windings II is controlled by controlling the saturation of core I! and this is accomplished by means of direct-current saturating winding I I also wound on core ll. Thus, by properly controlling the energization of saturating winding It, the impedance of windings It to alternating current from source ll may be controlled over a wide range varying from substantially no impedance when core I1 is fully saturated to the maximum impedance of windings II when core i1 is completely unsaturated.

This maximum impedance is of such magnitude as to allow substantially no current to flow in load circuit II, or in other words the magnetizing impedance of transformer it is designed to be having a very high maximum speed limit for higher than that of saturable reactor It.

However, the building up of flux in core I! and especially the decaying of this fiux when it is desired to increase the impedance of windings II requires a relatively long time so that saturable reactors without additional means are unsuitable for controlling high-speed resistance welding machines, for example, or any other load circuit where high-speed control is necessary. In order that such high-speed control of the impedance of windings It may be obtained, I control the flow of current in saturating winding l8 by variably energizing it from direct-current dynamoelectric machine l9, which is of the type that utilizes armature reaction as the primary source for its excitation. This type of dynamoelectric machine may be made to provide a controllable variable voltage and variable current characteristic with a very high rate of response and high amplification ratio. Therefore, this armature excited dynamoelectric machine is may be termed "an exciter" for controlling saturating winding II, which amplifies the variations in current transmitted to its control field winding 20. Directcurrent dynamoelectric machine I! is arranged to be driven as a generator by prime mover 2| illustrated as a shunt excited dynamoelectric machine energized from a suitable source of direct current 22.

In order to obtain this high amplification ratio, armature reaction type of dynamoelectric machine I! may be provided with an armature winding and commutator 2!, schematically shown. With this type of excitation system, two sets of brushes are provided displaced from one another by ninety electrical degrees. One set of primary brushes 24 and 25 are short circuited or connected together by a conductor 26 of low resistance and provide a path for the short-circuit current which produces the primary component of the exciting fiux of the machine. The other set of brushes, including secondary brushes 21 and 28, produce a voltage which varies as the energization of the control field winding 20 and provide a secondary circuit through the armature. The voltage appearing across secondary brushes 21 and 28 is an amplified voltage relative to the voltage or current of the control field winding 20. when brushes 2! and 28 are connected to a load, such as saturating winding ll of saturable reactor IS, a load current will flow, producing a secondary armature reaction in dynamoeiectric machine is.

Dynamoelectric machine I! may also be provided with additional windings, for example, field exciting winding 22 may be provided in series with the circuit through brushes 21 and 28 which is arranged to provide a component of magnetic excitation in opposition to the secondary armature reaction produced by current flowing in the circuit associated with brushes 21 and 2!, thereby reducing the secondary armature reaction flux and, hence, increasing the sensitivity of control field winding 2!. A field exciting winding 2. connected in series with the primary brushes 24 and 25 ma also be provided so as to produce a component of excitation in the direction of the primary armature reaction, whereby the primary armature current for obtaining a given secondary voltage may be substantially reduced.

An armature reaction dynamoelectric machine of the type described above is disclosed and broadly claimed in United States Letters Patent 2,227,992, granted January 'I, 1941, upon the joint application of Ernst l". W. Alexanderson and myself, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The advantage of using an armature reaction type of dynamoelectric machine is as a'means of controlling the impedance of variable reactance windings I8 resides in the small amount of control power necessary and the extremely rapid response obtainable for controlling load circult i0. To get maximum speed of control of the variation of the impedance of windings II, the load circuit of dynamoelectric machine ll, including saturating winding i8, is designed so as to give the most favorable L/R ratio and, hence, a short time constant. Occasionally to obtain this favorable ratio it may be necessary to insert resistance in series with saturating winding [8 and increase the voltage output of dynamoelectric machine IS. The control power for dynamo-electric machine I! for energizing field 2| is obtained from any suitable source of direct current, such as source 22. Any suitable means such as variable resistor 3|, connected in series with winding 22 may be arranged to adjust the energization of winding 20 and a plurality of contactors 22 and 33, to be described hereinafter, control the excitation thereof.

When the maximum current in load circuit i0 is desired, resistance II is adjusted so that the output of dynamoelectric machine I! completely saturates the core ll of saturable reactor I! so that windings i6 afford substantially no impedance to current flowing in the primary winding H of transformer l2. For smaller current values in load circuit iii, the core i1 is saturated to a lesser degree by varying resistance 3 i. Whenever contactors 32 or 33 open the circuit to field exciting winding 20, the remaining component of sec ondary fiux produced by current flowing in the secondary circuit is such as to cause reversal of the potential applied to saturating winding ll connected in circuit with the secondary brushes 2! and 2! so that the flux in core H is forced to zero very rapidly.

It will be understood that those skilled in the art that any suitable control means for controlling the energization of field winding 2| of dynamoelectric machine I! may be provided, such, for example, as a circuit employing a plurality of discharge valves, or a control circuit embodying contactors l2 and 32 illustrated in Fig. 1 for controlling the impedance of windings I! of saturable reactor l8. Contactor 32 is arranged to be controlled manually by suitable "start and stop buttons 25 and ll, respectively, which control the energization of solenoid 31 from direct-current source 22. Solenoid 31 is directly connected to contactor 22 and, in addition, operates its own seal-in switch 2'. Contactor ll, on the other hand, is arranged to be automatically controlled in accordance with an operating characteristic of load circuit ll. When my invention is applied to an electric resistance welding apparatus of the flash-welding type as specifically shown in Fig. 1, contactor I! may be operated by solenoid 19 arranged to be energized through current transformer ll associatedwithload circuit ll. Thus, when the butt weld has been accomplished, secondary winding ll of transformer i2 is substantially short circuited through the work piece between electrodes II and II and a very high current flows in load circuit i0. By suitably adjustably variable resistance ll .connected across the winding of solenoid ll, a predetermined current flowing in load circuit II will cause solenoid 39 to open contactor 12, whereby the circuit for energizing field winding 20 of dynsmoelectric machine llisinterruptedandtheimpedanceof variable reactance windings I8 which may have been substantially zero while field windings II was energized depending on the setting of resistance 8|,isincreased very rapidly soasto substantially interrupt the energy supplied to load circuit II. I

The operation of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. I will be considered starting with the apparatus in'the condition illustrated in Fig. 1 with switch It in the open position and with prime mover 2| driving dynamoelectric machine I. Since contactor 32 is in the open position, fleld winding 24 is deenergized and, hence, no current flows in saturating winding ll. Variable reactance windings l4',-thereiore, present the maximum impedance to current flowing in the primary circuit of transformer I! when switch II is closed and, therefore, when the work to be welded has been inserted between electrodes H, H, substantially no current flows in load circuit ill. If now, the operator manually depresses start" button II, solenoid 31 is energized from direct-current circuit 22, whereby contactor 32 and seal-in switch 38, which causes solenoid 31 to remain energized even though start button 34 is released, are closed. The closing of contactor 32 connects direct-current source 22 across fleld control winding 20 through variable resistor 3| and, due to the very rapid response of dynamoeiectric machine ll, core ll of the saturable reactor I! is completely saturated in a very short interval of time. This substantially reduces the impedance of windings ii to zero, or to the value determined by the setting of variable resistance 3|, whereby the current in load circuit i is allowed to flow, As soon as the butt weld of the flash type is completed, a large increase in current flowing in load circuit Ill occurs which energizes solenoid 39 sufllciently to open contactor 33 and interrupt the circuit for control fleld winding 20. The interruption of this field circuit causes dynamoelectric machine ID to force the flux in core ll down to zero very rapidly so as greatly to increase the impedance of windings It by virtue of the unsaturated condition of core ll of saturable reactor 16 and thereby substantially to interrupt the current flowing in load circuit Ill, whereby electrodes H, I! may be removed from the work piece, not shown, and the process repeated.

Although I have described the control circuit for fleld winding Ill-as specifically adaptable to flash welding, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that this control circuit may be modified in any manner depending upon the particular load applied to load circuit Ill. Regardless of the load applied, the saturable reactor IS including variable reactance windings [6' has the impedance thereof controlled in such a manner by virtue'of dynamoelectric machine I! as to function like a high-speed mechanical contactor energizing or deenergizing load circuit In without any of the inherent disadvantages associated with such contactors.

Even though saturable reactor i6 substantially makes and breaks the circuit energizing load 7 by virtue of the high impedance afforded by windings i6, is such as to cause undesirable arc ing when welding electrodes II, II are removed iromthework. Bucharcingwouldalsooccurat unnecessary to provide a switch such as ll,

shown in Fig. 1. Armature reaction dynamoelectric machine liisagainprovided for controlling the energization of saturating winding II of saturable reactor is in the same manner as in Fig. 1. This dynamoelectrlc machine may be driven by any suitable prime mover, not shown, similar, for example, to the prime mover ii of Fig. 1. Control fleld winding 2. for armature reaction dynamoelectric machine I! is arranged to be energized with direct current obtained through full wave rectifler 44 from alternatingcurrent source [5. contactor 43 and a manually operable double-throw switch 45 are connected in series with control fleld winding 20 by bridging contacts 43a and 45a, respectively, whereby load circuit 1 II is energized byvirtue of the decrease in impedance of variable reactance windings l6 of saturable reactor Ii, as has been described in detail heretofore. Double-throw switch 45 normally bridges contacts 45b so as to connect relay 42 across variable reactance windings ii of saturable reactor [6, the potential or which when core (1 is unsaturated is suflicient to pull contactor 43 away from contacts 43a and cause contacts 43b to be bridged, which are connected in a bypassing or short-circuiting line 46 for the primary winding l4 of transformer I2.

The operation of the modification of my invention illustrated in Fig. 2 will be only briefly described in view of the detailed description set -'forth in connection with Fig. 1. When the circuit is in the condition illustrated in Fig. 2 with dynamoelectric machine l9 driven by a suitable prime mover, substantially no current flows in saturating winding I8 01 saturable reactor it since control fleld winding 20 is deenergized. Furthermore, relay 42 is energized by virtue of the potential of source l5 appearing across variable reactance windings l6 and the contactor 43 bridges contacts 431), whereby primary winding l4 of transformer i2 is bypassed or short-circuited through connection 46. When it is desired to energize load circuit l0, double-throw switch 45 is depressed, bridging contacts 45a and opening contacts 45b, whereupon relay 42 is deenergized and contactor 43 opens the contacts 431) of bypassing connection 46 and bridges contacts 43a. Th'ereupon, the control field winding 20 is energized and the impedance of windings I6 is rapidly reduced. When switch 45 is released, the circuit of field winding 20 is broken and hence, by virtue of the operation of dynamoelectric machine i9 causing desaturation of saturable reactor i6, load circuit I0 is substantially deenergized. At the same time, relay 42 is energized across windings l6 and bypassing connection 48 is completed so that electrodes H and H may be separated without arcing.

. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, while I have illustrated and described two particular embodiments of my invention, modiiicationsthereofwilloccurtothoseskilledinthe art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangements disclosed and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do notdepartfromthespiritandscope ofmyinvention. WhatIclaimasnewanddesiretosecureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit, an electric translat ing apparatus interconnecting said circuits, means for controlling said load circuit comprising a reactance device connected in series therewith, means including a direct-current winding for said reactance device for varying the impedance thereof, and quick response means connected so as to energize said direct-current winding so that rapid changes in the impedance of said reactance device may be obtained, said quickresponse means causing a rapid reversal of the energization of said direct-current winding so that the flux in said reactance device is rapidly forced to attain substantially a zero value.

2. In a control apparatus for a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit connected so 'as to energize said load circuit, means for controlling said load circuit comprising a saturable reactor connected in series therewith, a directcurrent saturating winding for said reactor, and

quick response means for controlling the energisation of said saturating winding forcing a very rapid buildup or decay of flux in said saturabie reactor by causing a rapid reversal of the energization of said saturating winding so that high-speed changes in the impedance thereof may be obtained.

3. In combination, a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit, an electric translating apparatus interconnecting said circuits, means for controlling said load circuit comprising a reactance device connected in series with said translating apparatus, means including a direct-current winding for said reactance device for varying the impedance of said device, an armature reaction dynamo-electric machine having a high rate of response for energizing said direct-current winding, and means for controlling the operation of said dynamoelectric machine so as to cause a rapid reversal of the energization of said direct-current winding whereby high-speed control of said load circuit may be obtained.

4. In combination, a load circuit, an alterhating-current supply circuit, an electric translating apparatus interconnecting said circuits, means for controlling said load circuit comprising a saturable reactor connected in series with said translating apparatus, means including a saturating winding for said reactor for varying the impedance thereof, an armature reaction dynamoelectrlc machine having a high rate of response for energizing said saturating winding, and means for controlling the operation of said dynamoelectric machine so as to cause a rapid reversal of the energization of said saturating winding to obtain high-speed control of said load circuit.

5. In combination, a transformer provided with primary and secondary windings, a load device connected to said secondary winding, and a reactance device connected in series relation with said primary winding of said transformer, said reactance device comprising a saturable reactor having a direct-current saturating winding en ergized from a quick response apparatus for controlling said impedance, said quick-response apparatus being so constructed and arranged as to cause a rapid reversal of the energization of said direct-current saturating winding.

6. In combination, a load device, a ilrst circuit connecting said load device to an alternatingcurrent supply circuit, high-speed meansfor controlling said flrst circuit including a saturable reactor connected between said supply circuit and said first circuit, means including a directcurrent saturating winding associated with quick response energization means for varying the impedance of said saturable reactor by causing rapid reversal of the energization of said direct-current saturating winding whereby high-speed control of the current flowing in said first circuit is obtained, and means responsive to an operating characteristic of said load device for controlling said quick response energization means.

7. In combination, a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit, an electric translating apparatus interconnecting said circuits, means for controlling said load circuit comprising a reactance device connected in series with said load circuit for controlling the current supplied to said load circuit, means including a direct-current. winding for said reactance device for varying the impedance thereof, an armature reaction generator for controlling the energization of said direct-current winding by causing a rapid reversal of the energization thereof so that high-speed control of said current supplied to said load circuit may be obtained, and means responsive to an operating characteristic of said load circuit for controlling said armature reaction generator.

8. In combination, a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit, an electric translating apparatus interconnecting said circuits, means for controlling said load circuit comprising a reactance device connected in series therewith, means including a direct-current winding for said reactance device for varying the impedance thereof, means for bypassing said alterhating-current supply circuit around said electric translating apparatus when said reactance device is adjusted for maximum impedance so that said load circuit is completely deenergized, and quick response means for controlling the energization of said direct-current winding so that rapid changes in the impedance of said reactance device may be obtained.

9. In a control apparatus for a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit connected so as to energize said load circuit, a high-speed switching arrangement for controlling said load circuit comprising'a saturable reactor including a direct-current saturating winding for varying the impedance of said saturable reactor, and means for bypassing said alternating current supply circuit around said load circuit when said saturable reactor is wholly unsaturated so as to present the maximum impedance to current so that said load circuit is completely deenergized.

10. In combination, a load circuit, an alternating-current supply circuit, an electric translating apparatus interconnecting said circuits, a high-speed switching arrangement for controlling said load circuit comprising a saturable reactor connected in series with said translating apparatus, means including a saturating winding for said reactor for varying the impedance thereof, an armature reaction dynamoelectric machine having a high rate of response for encurrent supply circuit around said first circuit a when no current flows in said saturating winding the saturating winding of said saturable reactor so that said load circuit is completely deenergiz'ed. 11. In a system comprising a load device,

a first circuit connecting said load device to an alternating-current supply circuit, high: speed means for controlling said first circuit including a saturable reactor connected between said supply circuit and said first circuit, means including a direct-current saturating winding amociated with quick response energization means for varying the impedance of said saturable reactor whereby control of the current flowing in said first circuit is obtained. and means.

responsive to an operating condition or said satso that said load device is completely denergized. I 12. In combination, a transformer provided with primary'and secondary windings, a load device connected to said secondary windings, a'

reactance device connected in series relation with said primary winding 01' said transformer, said reactance device comprising a saturable reactor having a direct-current saturating winding, an altemating-current supply circuit for energizing said transformer through said reactance device,

an armature reaction generator having a high rate of response for energizing the direct-current saturating winding of said reactance device for varying the impedance thereof over a very wide range whereby high-speed control of the .current supplied to said load device may be ob-' tained. and means responsive to the flow oi current to said load device for controlling the oper- V ation of said armature reaction generator.

urabie reactor for b said alternating- A. EDWARDS!" 

